Alfa Romeo confirms new Porsche 911 rival: Retro-inspired supercar to be petrol-powered finale for Italian brand

Alfa Romeo has finally confirmed its worst-kept secret. The Italian brand will build a mid-engine supercar inspired by its famous 33 Stradale as its final internal combustion engine model before it begins transitioning to its electric future.

Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato once again hinted that the brand will launch a special model in 2024 speaking at an event in China, where he said the new offering will be revealed on August 30.

“Dare to dream,” Imparato said. “This project is a dream come true, inspired by a daring team that wanted to achieve something unique.”

Alfa Romeo design director Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos went a step further in a recent interview with media, which included CarsGuide, confirming that this new model will be a modern take on the 33 Stradale.

“Yes, we’re doing it,” Mesonero-Romanos said.

While there’s no official detail on the car itself, it’s widely expected that it will be a mid-engine sports car making use of a carbon fibre chassis, possibly taken from the 4C or even the Maserati MC20.

The new model will be a modern take on the 33 Stradale.

Unlike the four-cylinder 4C, this new model will boast genuine sports car levels of performance with power coming from the brand’s Ferrari-derived 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine. Alfa Romeo has already shown this engine is capable of producing 402kW/600Nm in the limited-edition Giulia GTAm, so it’s likely to at least offer that much grunt.

Mesonero-Romanos’ confirmation that the car will be inspired by the 33 Stradale suggests the styling will be a modern take on the swoopy mid-engine sports car from the late 1960s. 

The reveal of the car on August 30 is designed to coincide with the Italian Grand Prix, where the Alfa Romeo Formula One team will be competing.

It now appears that it will be the 33 Stradale badge that sends off Alfa Romeo’s lineage of petrol-powered cars that dates back to 1910.

Since taking over as Alfa Romeo CEO, Imparato has made little secret of his desire to create a ‘hero model’ for the brand, with the famous 6C and GTV nameplates mentioned regularly. However, it now appears that it will be the 33 Stradale badge that sends off Alfa Romeo’s lineage of petrol-powered cars that dates back to 1910.

Despite the car not being revealed yet, Imparato has already hinted that the model will be built in strictly limited numbers and is likely to be sold-out before it’s even revealed, with long-time loyal customers given the opportunity to put their money down before the public unveiling.

But while this new sports car will be the final petrol-powered Alfa Romeo, the switch to electrification doesn’t mean the end of performance cars for the famed Italian brand. Imparato told CarsGuide that he’s considering reviving the GTV nameplate as an EV in future as he looks to create a desirable global luxury electric brand by the end of the decade.